Philadelphia’s rookie pitcher Andrew Painter has not earned a victory in his last 16 outings, making it a brutal stretch for the 23-year-old righty. Despite Painter’s struggles, the Phillies are set to keep rolling with him, even after foregoing starting pitching depth at the trade deadline. This is a team that’s 63-56 and holding onto their postseason hopes, so you gotta wonder how much longer they can wait for a former top prospect to figure it out.
The “Bad-Luck Charm” Is Still On The Mound
Painter’s numbers this season are just rough. He’s sitting at a 1-8 record with a 6.48 ERA, and opponents are batting a hefty .299 against him. It’s a tough look for a guy once considered a top prospect, especially when his team needs consistency. The Phillies entered the All-Star break in control of a wild-card spot, but they’ve gone a shaky 9-13 since, so Mattingly’s magic as interim manager might be wearing off. This team desperately needs reliability, and Painter has been anything but consistent.
Big 3 Shine, But The Gap Is Real
The Phillies do have a lights-out top of the rotation. When Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, or Jesus Luzardo start, Philly is an incredible 48-19. That’s a serious “Big 3,” and it’s why the SportsLine Projection Model still gives them an 88.2% shot at the postseason, with FanDuel pricing them at 82.5% to get there. But the drop-off after those three is a giant chasm. Phillies president Dave Dombrowski addressed their decision not to acquire more pitching depth at the deadline, stating, “We feel, if we can make it to the postseason, our starting rotation is in really solid shape…if we were going to do it and add somebody, they would have had to be significantly better, in our opinion, than Andrew.” So, they’re clearly all-in on Painter, for better or worse. While they’ve had some offensive bright spots with trade addition Luis Arraez delivering clutch hits and Kyle Schwarber snapping a 17-game drought with two homers Sunday, the pitching outside the top three is the glaring question mark.
What’s Next For Philly?
The Phillies are facing the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Monday, opening a series with big implications for their postseason push. Philly enters as -117 money-line favorites, with St. Louis at +105, and the Over/Under is set at 9 runs. Painter’s next start could determine a lot about how long the Phillies can realistically ride with their rotation strategy. He’s got to show something soon if Philadelphia wants to keep their dreams alive without pushing their aces too hard.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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